Tongs.



W. B. BARROWS.

TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE :1. 1911.

1,260,302. Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

Invenzor ZU/a/lZ'er B. B,a,rrvws By W @%i y.

WALTER B. BARRQWS, OF EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN.

TON GS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER B. Bannows, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide eflicient and non-corrosive tongs for grasping small objects, especially those treated in hot water, brines,'or acid solutions in laboratorics, kitchens, and pickle factories.

A further object is to provide tongs of this class having separable legs whichmay be disjointed at will for the purpose of cleansing the instrument or to substitute a leg of different shape to better conform to the particular object to be grasped.

A further object is to provide tongs composed of resilient fibrous material, such as tough grained wood, in which danger of breaking or splitting at the union of the legs is reduced to a minimum.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of one leg of my tongs formed at one end with a tenon; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the companion leg formed at one end with a mortise or socket designed to snugly receive the tenon formed on the first-mentioned leg; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the tongs; Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side view of a modification of the tenonecl leg illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the part shown in Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modification of the socket shown in Fig. 2, designed to receive a triangular tenon, such as is illustrated in Figs. 4: and 5, and Fig. 7 is an end view of the parts illustrated in Figs. 1, 5, and 6, and is taken between the legs of the tongs, the ends of said legs having been cut off as indicated by the section-lining.

Referring to the drawings, I have used the reference numeral 9 to indicate one of the legs of my tongs. This leg 9 consists of a thin, fiat piece of wood, formed at one end with a tenon 10 (Figs. 1 and 3). Shoulders 11 at the junction of the tenon and leg limit the depth to which the tenon may enter a mortise in a socket presently to be described. The leg 9 may havea depression 12 cut therein, on the side which, when the two members comprising my tongs are assembled, is the outer side. At the end opposite the tenon 10 and on the inner side of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

Application filed June 11, 1917. Serial No. 174,079.

the leg 9, may be cut teeth or grooves 13, which are placed thereon to more securely grip the objects to be grasped.

The member shown in Fig. 2 comprises a socket 14 and a leg 15, which is similar in material and shape to the leg 9 and has the depression 12 (Fig. 7 and teeth 13 as noted with reference to the leg 9. The outer contour of the socket 141 is that of a truncated wedge and the leg 15 is integral therewith, extending from one side of the base of the wedge. On the opposite side of the wedge and diverging at a slight angle from the leg 15, is a mortise designed to snugly receive the tenon 10. This mortise is preferably a groove 16 having overhanging flanges 17 adapted to snugly fit and retain the tenon 10 in said groove.

The tenon and mortise of the tongs illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and .3 are rectangular in cross-section, while the alternate form of my device illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 has a tenon 18, triangular in cross-section and consequently requires a triangular mortise 19 in a socket 20, designed to snugly receive said tenon 18.

In use, the tenon 10 on the removable leg 9 is inserted in the mortise in the socket 14:- The users fingers grasp the legs 9 and 15 at a point slightly below the socket 14 and compress said legs upon the object to be grasped; the depression 12 serving to strengthen the grip of the fingers upon the tongs. When the fingers are removed from the legs, the natural resiliency of the wood causes said legs to spring apart and the object is released.

The operation of the modified form shown in Figs. 4 to 7 is identical with that above described.

It is thus seen that my tongs are manufactured from two small pieces of Wood and that their construction is very simple and inexpensive.

The fact that the legs are separable makes the tongs easy to clean and also permits the substitution of a new leg in case of breaking one of them or if a different gripping point is desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a resilient leg having an enlargement at one end thereof, said enlargement being formed With a mortise extending longitudinally therethrough, and a second resilient leg formed With a tenon on one end adapted to fit snugly into the mortise in said firstleg of which is formed With a' terminal mortise and-the other With a terminal tenon adapted to snugly fit said mortise, the inner surfaces of the joint being beveled so that $0910: of this patent may be obtained for the legs will, i When in normal slightly diverge.

4:. A pair of tongs of resilient Wood, composition,

prising a truncated Wedge shaped member having a leg formed on one side of the base if thereof, and a beveled mortise cut in the side opposite said leg, said mortise extending at a slight angle to the longitudinal dimension of said leg, and a second leg formed with a tenon on one end thereof designed to snugly fit the mortise in said socket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name to this specification.

WALTER B. DARROWS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot latents. washington l). G. 

